SWEDISH CLOGS FOR MEN

The Swedish clog story has begun a long time ago. For over one hundred years, Swedish clogs for men have been used by farmers and peasants as safe, cheap, and practical shoes. However, in the 1970s, when wooden clogs found their way into the fashion world, Swedish clogs, or a “trätofflor” became popular among men and women in Sweden, and soon in many other parts of Europe.

Swedish clogs are known for their anatomically shaped bottom, natural materials, and meticulous craftsmanship. The design and shape of wooden clogs have been developed through generations of Swedish cobblers, ensuring ultimate fit and shape, as well as the distinctive Swedish wooden clog look and quality.

Swedish clogs for men come in a variety of styles and materials. Traditionally, Swedish clogs are made in natural leather and wood and nailed by hand. However, you’ll find many classic clogs, clog boots, and clog sandals made in canvas, patent, wool, or vegan leather. More important, wooden clogs are very comfortable and can be easily worn both in and out of the house. Traditional Swedish clogs have wooden bottoms, leather upper, and minimal details. The most distinctive part of men’s clogs is their wooden sole. Anatomically shaped footbeds even weight distribution across the foot, providing an optimal angle for support and posture, while soft padding guarantees extra stability and comfort.

Wooden footbeds provide a safe and healthy solution for feet, and because of this, Swedish wooden clogs for men are very popular among all those professionals who spend long working hours on their feet, such as medical workers and kitchen chefs. The two most popular types of men’s clogs are classical open back clogs and closed back clogs. Most of the classic Swedish clogs are designed to prevent blisters and other foot irritations, so they are an ideal solution for all those who need some extra comfortability on their feet. On the inside, clogs can either be unlined or come with a soft leather lining that helps absorb moisture and prevent foot odor.

Although very practical, a wooden clog can be a brave fashion statement as well. Men’s clogs may not be a mainstream trend, but for those who can pull it off, there are many benefits: comfortability, easy on and off, and a very distinctive design. When it comes to Swedish wooden clogs for men, the varieties are almost endless. Classic clogs, boots, sandals, closed-back clogs, penny loafers, or clogs with tassels or horsebit – whichever you choose, you’ll get handmade, reliable, and durable shoes you’ll be wearing for years. The variety of prints and details is also overwhelmingly large, ensuring that everyone can find something he likes.

Taking care of wooden clogs is also super easy. Use a damp cloth, and if necessary, a little bit of mild soap to clean your clogs. The open grain of wooden clog bottoms allows moisture to be absorbed and keeps feet dry. Still, if the wooden bottoms get too wet, allow them to dry slowly. Wipe clogs clean and leave them in a dry place at room temperature. Taking care of leather upper depends on the type of leather clogs are made of (nubuck, suede, vegetable-tanned, microfiber, etc.). There are many cleaning products you can use to take care of your wooden clogs. However, it’s always best to ask for advice in the local shoe repair shop. When you try some product for the first time, always test it on a small hidden part of men’s clogs.

The Magic of Swedish Christmas

 In Sweden, 24th December is the highlight of Christmas. The whole family is together, and after enjoying the traditional Christmas smorgasbord, everyone is waiting for that special knock on the door, which means that Santa Claus has arrived with the presents for everyone. And not surprisingly, some of those presents hide a pair of good old Swedish wooden clogs.

A few reasons why Swedish Christmas is amazingly wonderful

The 24th of December, often called the Swedish Julafton is the day when people gather together, eat, open presents, wear their comfortable clogs, and have a lovely time together. Although every family has their rituals, one of the favorite Christmas traditions begins in the afternoon when everyone gathers around the TV to watch an hour-long Christmas special of Disney classics. Delicious food, a visit from Santa himself, gift opening, and quality time with loved one's guarantee, without a doubt, a wonderful Christmas evening. And this is where a few pairs of warm winter clogs or clog boots play a significant part and emphasize the holiday vibes. 

The abundance of food and decoration

Julbord (Christmas buffet) is a variety of delicious foods served in a buffet, where you’ll find almost everything from ham, pork, turkey, and meatballs to pickled herring and smoked salmon. There is also raisin bread, mini hotdogs, salads, potatoes and vegetables, rice pudding, and the traditional sweet saffron bun with raisins called Lussekatt.

When it comes to decoration, there’s an overall focus on natural materials like wood, felt, and greenery, as well as a lot of the classic colors such as red, green, gold, and silver. On Christmas Eve, ever-present candles are placed in the candle holders, creating a beautiful, romantic display. One of the typical traditions is also to string the national flag around the tree. The overall result is a typically refined, minimalist, and modest look.

Christmas is about giving

Swedes expect a great deal from their Christmas. Everyone does their best, home is warm and bright, and the presents are numerous. On Christmas Eve, after dinner, the family gathers to wait for the presents. Usually, an adult family member or friend dress up as Santa, knock on the door and hand out the gifts to the family.

So, if you want to evoke a bit of the lovely Swedish Christmas vibe, what would be the best presents you give the friends and family?

There will never be a Swedish present as classic as a Dala horse. Made and painted by hand, this beautiful wooden figure is a classic symbol of Sweden.

Fika. A magic Swedish word is a perfect option for Sweden lover anywhere in the world. In short can be described as coffee, sweet pastries, and coziness. In the form of a gift, it can be a mug, blanket, aromatic tea, scarf, or candle. And, of course, a pair of Swedish wooden clogs or clog boots.

Why wooden clogs?

A specific sound of wooden clogs evokes Swedish countryside, red wooden houses, and Swedish forests. Although they aren’t always flashy, traditional Swedish clogs are made from natural materials such as wood and leather. With special attention to the anatomically constructed wooden footbed that provides an optimal angle for support and posture, clogs are both healthy and practical footwear. Also, clogs reflect all the qualities of Swedish design: functionality, durability, reliability, and simplicity. Nordic tradition (especially the climate) has a bearing on the color palette of Swedish wooden clogs: white, black, beige, grey, with small bursts of earthy or pastel colors.  A clog can be any footwear made on natural wooden bottoms: traditional open-back clogs, closed-back clogs, clog sandals, clogs boots, etc. The choices are numerous, and we are sure there is a perfect Christmas pair for you out there.

WINTER IN SWEDISH CLOG BOOTS

Winter is almost there, and time to think about a warm pair of boots that will accompany you through the brisk days and evenings. But have you ever thought that these perfect boots could be Swedish clog boots?  When you think about Swedish clogs, you probably picture the Swedish countryside house with the fireplace, blanket, and a cup of hot cocoa, or even better, doctors, nurses, and chefs in their uniforms, wearing a matching pair of black or white open-back clogs. However, the story doesn't end here. There is a whole fashion clog boot world out there waiting for you to discover it. Comfortable, reliable, breathable shoes that can adapt to any climate and occasion, wooden clog boots are go-to boots all year round. 

What is clog?

The term clog refers to a specific type of shoe with a distinctive wooden sole and usually leather upper. Although clogs appeared a century ago as practical, work footwear, today they are a fashion statement and a choice of many men and women worldwide. Swedish cobblers began to make wooden clogs as a protection against the moody Nordic weather. After many years of experimenting and improving products and techniques, they came out with a type of shoe known as a Swedish clog. Swedish clogs, as well as clog boots, include varieties of shapes and materials. The best known are probably classic Chelsea boots, but there are plenty of boots with laces, mid or high heels, with a zipper on the side, or lined with wool and shearling. The most practical choice for the fall and winter season are warm shearling clog boots that will keep you warm through the cold days. 

Why choose Swedish clog boots?

Swedish clogs are eco-friendly, comfortable, and natural footwear. They are still produced by hand in small workshops with materials classical and new. The most recognizable part of every clog is a traditional wooden sole made with alder wood, lime, or brisk, matched with different types of leathers such as patent, waxy, vegan, nubuck, pull-up, vegetable-tanned, suede, etc. Interesting details such as laces, metallic buckles, stitches, or horsbit add to the distinctive look of Swedish clog boots. During the past decades, Swedish wooden clog boots proved to be both practical and ergonomic. They soften the impact of walking on hard surfaces and provide even support across the foot and lower back. Also, most clog boots have a Grip-tech PU layer on bottoms, which is a material developed for increased slip resistance. Match that with a waterproof leather upper, and you get reliable, safe, and comfortable winter footwear.

Making of Swedish clog boots

Swedish clog boot production process is quite different from that of other shoes and footwear. Since traditional Swedish clogs have a base made of wood, a large part of the production process is woodwork. In general, making clog boots is a long process that takes years to learn properly. The process starts with sawing logs into planks and milling. After milling, the wood and the outsole are pressed together. After clicking the upper leather, linings are attached and stitched together with the upper. After the boots have been nailed, the surplus leather is cut away and every boot is checked before entering a dying room. Once dry, clogs need to cool down before the cobbler removes the last. After that, clog boots are ready to go.

How to take care of your winter clog boots?

Taking care of clog boots and shearling clog boots is very simple. The main rule is if the bottoms absorb too much water, to allow boots to dry slowly. Never try to heat the leather and wood, or to speed up the drying process. On the other hand, taking care of the leather uppers depends on what type of leather clogs boots are made of. Although there are many cleaning products and creams you can use, it's always better to ask for advice in local shoe repair shops. Be careful when you try the product for the first time, and always test a new product on a small hidden part of wooden clog boots.

How are Swedish clogs made?

The wooden clog production process is quite different from that of normal footwear that is made on a leather or rubber sole.  Since a traditional Swedish clogs is made on a base of wood, a large part of the production process is woodwork for a wooden clog producer. While most Swedish clog producers do not make the wooden bottoms themselves there are still some clog factories that both produce wooden bottoms and do the final assembly of the clogs in-house.

Wooden clog bottom production

Producers of Swedish clogs usually buy logs directly from forest owners or wholesalers and then saw up planks in different dimensions depending on model and shoe size. Those planks are then entered into a wood kiln to dry for several weeks until the moisture level is around 12 – 15 percent. This is essential in order to get a clog bottom that will keep shape after being produced. Once the planks are dried, they will be sawn into shape depending on the size of sole and then those pieces are put into a milling machine where the bottoms and foot beds get their shape. After this stage, outsoles are attached to the wooden bottoms and then they go into a fine milling machine to get the final shape and a finer finish.

What wood can be used in the production of wooden clog bottoms?

Wood suitable for producing clogs should be hardwoods that are relatively light and remains stable after drying. It’s also important that the wood can absorb moisture well. Swedish clogs are traditionally made out of alder wood and most Swedish clog producers still prefer to work with alder. Birch and lime wood is also common in clog production. Below you can read about some of the properties of these three types of wood:

• Alderwood is part of the birch family and is generally considered light and soft for being a hardwood. It’s not very susceptible to shrinkage and importantly remains stable after drying. Alder usually grows in moist areas like next to rivers and lakes and the wood usually remains stable when used under water. One of the important properties that make alder popular among Scandinavian clog producers is that it is easy to dry and doesn’t crack easily. It’s also easy to work in machining and turning and can be nailed without the wood splitting while also being easy to glue. It’s uniform, small pore structure and relatively consistent color makes it good for sanding, painting and for staining.
• Lime wood is also known as Tilia, Linden or basswood and is a soft hardwood that can be easily worked by hand or machine. It has an even, fine pored wood structure that makes it ideal for staining, painting and varnishing. The wood is stable once dried but it is not very durable and is therefore mainly used indoors.
• Birch is also a hardwood which has a medium-weight and good strength properties, it is quite elastic and tough but not very hard. Birch is relatively easy to work with and can also be turned and cut easily. Similarly to the above wood types, it can be stained and polished which is important for clog makers. Its bending properties are good but splitting properties are unfortunately not so good.

Making of the Swedish clog upper

Any Swedish clog factory will also need skilled workers for making the leather uppers. The craftspeople will need to understand the different properties of different leathers. Padded insteps and linings are then stitched on before the clog parts enter another part of the clog production stage, nailing and lasting. Here the uppers are shaped into the three dimensional shape of the last and attached to the wooden clog bottoms with nails or staples. The clogs are then inspected and heel pads with the clog producers’ or the clog brands logo are attached to the footbed.

Swedish clog makers are continuing a traditional craft that has been handed down from generation to generation. Working with natural materials takes patience and skill that is not something many factories have a lot of these days.

Fashion Tips on How to Wear Swedish Clog Sandals

When it comes to the art of clog-making, the Dutch may be said to be at the forefront. They have had fans since medieval times, but the truth is that wooden-soled shoes have been worn by people all over Europe for hundreds of years.

The Dutch all-wood “klompen” were usually made from the wood of poplar or willow trees and there are reasons why they have been preferred.

They are comfortable in both hot and cold weather, they are used as safety shoes by workers and help in keeping the feet dry in marshy areas.

The practice of Clog-dancing, seen as a forerunner to tap-dancing, led to the popularity and eventual arrival of Swedish clog sandals in the US markets in the 19th century

In the 1970’s, it was made popular by the Swedish band Abba who were clogs in a number of videos.

Need for Swedish Clog Sandals Today

Karl Lagerfeld’s collection for Chanel in 2010 put Swedish clog sandals back in the spotlight after a long time.

After this, everyone wanted a pair of these shoes.

Alexa Chung wore clogs to Chanel’s fashion show in the winter and on the cover of Vogue’s British edition of the March issue. After this, they have been popping up almost everywhere, from the high street brands to the inexpensive labels.

The reasons why Swedish clog sandals so popular was their solid build quality and their orthopedic design which made them score over the less durable and unhealthy footwear.  

Things to Look Out for in Swedish Clog Sandals

Today, Swedish clog sandals come in a number of variations. While some are slip-on with covered or uncovered toes, others are the heeled clogs.

The only consideration here is that the base must be made of wood from the front to the back, with a raised platform.

For some fashionistas, natural-hued leather clogs may be the pick of the season, but there are a number of color variations which can not only lift your spirits, but also put a spring in your step.

Which Swedish Clog Sandal Style Will Best Suit Your Body Type

Athletic Shape: You can wear any style, but the slip-ons would suit you best.

Petite Shape: Look for Swedish clog sandals which have heels and will add some inches to your height.

Curvy Shape: Clog heels would greatly accentuate your calves with any short dress that you wear.